


Eclipse

by Burningchaos



Category: Moonlight (TV), Roswell (TV)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Threesome - F/M/M, Work Up For Adoption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-05-21
Updated: 2008-09-06
Packaged: 2018-01-03 21:20:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burningchaos/pseuds/Burningchaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max. Beth still works for Buzznet.</p><p>Thanks to Darkmoon711 and KiaraAlexisKlay for the beta</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Liz bushed her hair off her neck, pulled her knee closer to her chest and painted a bright copper stripe of polish on her pinky toenail. She looked at her foot carefully, “There is that better? I can’t believe you insulted my toes.” She looked up and glared.

Mick laughed and held her ice cream in front of him like a shield, it had been a bold move but Liz wasn’t crying anymore, she was still moody, frightened and tired but the tears were gone. “You didn’t have to do them now…”

“Oh, and the with I can’t understand how you left the house in sandals with your feet like that comment and the offer of socks how was I supposed to take it?” Liz watching him take a drink before she continued. “And there had better not be any blood in my ice cream!”

“Are you sure? It might add to the flavor?” Mick slumped onto the couch in a fit of laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so relaxed and tense in the same breath. “I’m glad you’re here, Liz, no matter the reason.”

“Yeah, about that….” Liz trailed off as he shoved the ice cream into her hands.

“Vanilla, no blood, now eat.” He wanted to know why she’d shown up oh his doorstep smothered by the scent of fear, why she looked like she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in months and why she smelled so different, almost not human anymore, but right now wasn’t the time. “You can tell me later.”

Mick ran a hand over her long dark hair as she curled up next to him. The loss of finding out Fordham wasn’t his faded away. Claudia had given him her family and he’d always be grateful. He’d lost her and he’d never been close to Jeff, something that never bothered him until he’d met Liz and had to deal with the other man’s refusal to let her visit. Underneath all the other scents she carried there was a remnant of Claudia’s. Which meant family. [i]His Family.[/i]

Liz savored a spoonful of her favorite flavor and shook her head. “No, you need to know some of it now. I…” she hesitated sorrow and desperation infused each word. “I’m not sure I can stay, I don’t want to expose you to the same danger I am in.”

“Danger?” Mick growled. “What the hell are you into?”

Mick tensed for a moment as the front door opened. “Mick?”

Beth.

Shit.

He forgot about Beth.

He stood up quickly as his lover entered the room, his mind danced around searching for an explanation that wouldn’t snap the tenuous thread their relationship was hanging by.

Liz looked at Mick, she could feel the panic pouring off him, and the blonde who entered. Confusion, jealousy, betrayal…the emotions filled the room bouncing off the walls and skittering back only to slam through her. Damn Max. Plastering a smile on her face Liz stepped forward.

“You must be Beth.” She offered the pale, but pretty blonde her hand. “I’m Liz Parker.” She could she Mick’s startled look out of the corner of her eye.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Beth’s hand was warm and her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry my hand is so cold I forgot I was eating ice cream.” Beth relaxed as her eyes darted to the half-pint of ‘Ben and Jerry’s’ she was holding.

“I’m sorry, Beth, I should have called.” Mick walked over, kissed her forehead and took her coat.

“I was worried…” Beth relaxed when Mick touched her. Something about Liz bothered her. The way Mick seemed so relaxed around her didn’t help. At least she wasn’t another vampire.

Mick pulled her into a tight, soothing hug. “Oh, Beth, I’m sorry.”

Liz turned away, the raw emotion, the love she could see and feel burned inside her, fueling her own loneliness. Christ, she hated this. The lack of control, the horrible sense of unease at knowing how other people were feeling, and the jealousy Mick and Beth's feelings were creating in her.

“Yeah, that’s my fault too. I should be the one apologizing, not Mick. I sorta just showed up and…” Liz shrugged helplessly.

Beth took in Liz’s bare feet, her bags by the door, and the frayed, overtired appearance combined with her slightly tear stained face, and the need to nurture kicked in. “Are you all right…”She looked over at Mick. “Do you need help?”

“Liz is my…huh…” Mick looked at her helplessly for a moment.

“Mick is my version of a ‘fairy’ godfather.” Liz laughed and flinched as another voice joined hers. She hadn’t sensed anyone coming but with all the tension and emotions in the room she shouldn’t have been surprised.

“A Fairy Godfather?” Josef smirked. “Mick, is there something you forgot to tell us? And who is this delightful young lady?” He sauntered over to her, and around her. “If you tell me she is dessert all is forgiven.”  
“Josef!” Mick snarled, he could feel Beth flinch as he pulled away from her but Liz’s arm was already in Josef’s hands.

“Dessert?” Liz snatched her arm away. “How insulting, I am a seven course meal and you, Vampire, are on a liquid diet.” Liz watched him carefully, at first she felt nothing from him. but then a few seconds before he tossed his head back and laughed it swept through her…amusement and admiration.

“Spirit I like that.” Josef turned toward his friend, resisted the urge to demand more information about the enticing creature taunting him and instead taunted the man he considered his best friend. “Mick, where do you meet all these wonderful humans and do they _all_ know who you are?

“I knew Liz’s grandmother when we were children.” Mick smiled at the memory even though his eyes were still trained on his friend and Liz. The one curse and blessing about Vampirism is an enhanced sense of smell, and right now he was getting entirely too much information from Josef. Information that made him want to drag Liz upstairs, lock her in a room and beat Josef into submission. Liz was off limits while she was here…hell period.

“You knew her grandmother?” Beth’s curiosity always won out, the random thought in the back of her mind told her that was why she was always in danger. Beth watched all three sets of eyes turn toward her, and for some reason she felt as if she were the only human in the room.

“More than that, I think grandma had a crush on him.” Liz smiled mischievously; this was the much needed opportunity to diffuse the tension between the two vampires in the room.

Sound filled the room, from Mick’s sharp bark of disbelief to Josef’s full blown head thrown back laugh to Beth’s amused chuckle her mission was accomplished. It was exactly as she planned but it left her feeling dirty and as her mood swung darkly she could see the focus of the room shifting. Liz struggled for control and found it becoming evermore elusive.

She staggered back slightly and suddenly found two sets of hands supporting her. She could see and feel Mick and Josef’s concern heavily mixed with confusion as they moved her toward the couch.

“I think I need a nap.”  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t find any plans for Mick’s house, so other then what I have seen I am making up as I go along. If you know where I can find something more specific or a complete layout of it I would be grateful. This takes place after 1x15 in Moonlight, so there will be spoilers up to that episode.

Liz bushed her hair off her neck, pulled her knee closer to her chest and painted a bright copper stripe of polish on her pinky toenail. She looked at her foot carefully, “There is that better? I can’t believe you insulted my toes.” She looked up and glared.

Mick laughed and held her ice cream in front of him like a shield, it had been a bold move but Liz wasn’t crying anymore, she was still moody, frightened and tired but the tears were gone. “You didn’t have to do them now…”

“Oh, and the with I can’t understand how you left the house in sandals with your feet like that comment and the offer of socks how was I supposed to take it?” Liz watching him take a drink before she continued. “And there had better not be any blood in my ice cream!”

“Are you sure? It might add to the flavor?” Mick slumped onto the couch in a fit of laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so relaxed and tense in the same breath. “I’m glad you’re here, Liz, no matter the reason.”

“Yeah, about that….” Liz trailed off as he shoved the ice cream into her hands.

“Vanilla, no blood, now eat.” He wanted to know why she’d shown up oh his doorstep smothered by the scent of fear, why she looked like she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in months and why she smelled so different, almost not human anymore, but right now wasn’t the time. “You can tell me later.”

Mick ran a hand over her long dark hair as she curled up next to him. The loss of finding out Fordham wasn’t his faded away. Claudia had given him her family and he’d always be grateful. He’d lost her and he’d never been close to Jeff, something that never bothered him until he’d met Liz and had to deal with the other man’s refusal to let her visit. Underneath all the other scents she carried there was a remnant of Claudia’s. Which meant family. [i]His Family.[/i]

Liz savored a spoonful of her favorite flavor and shook her head. “No, you need to know some of it now. I…” she hesitated sorrow and desperation infused each word. “I’m not sure I can stay, I don’t want to expose you to the same danger I am in.”

“Danger?” Mick growled. “What the hell are you into?”

Mick tensed for a moment as the front door opened. “Mick?”

Beth.

Shit.

He forgot about Beth.

He stood up quickly as his lover entered the room, his mind danced around searching for an explanation that wouldn’t snap the tenuous thread their relationship was hanging by.

Liz looked at Mick, she could feel the panic pouring off him, and the blonde who entered. Confusion, jealousy, betrayal…the emotions filled the room bouncing off the walls and skittering back only to slam through her. Damn Max. Plastering a smile on her face Liz stepped forward.

“You must be Beth.” She offered the pale, but pretty blonde her hand. “I’m Liz Parker.” She could she Mick’s startled look out of the corner of her eye.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Beth’s hand was warm and her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry my hand is so cold I forgot I was eating ice cream.” Beth relaxed as her eyes darted to the half-pint of ‘Ben and Jerry’s’ she was holding.

“I’m sorry, Beth, I should have called.” Mick walked over, kissed her forehead and took her coat.

“I was worried…” Beth relaxed when Mick touched her. Something about Liz bothered her. The way Mick seemed so relaxed around her didn’t help. At least she wasn’t another vampire.

Mick pulled her into a tight, soothing hug. “Oh, Beth, I’m sorry.”

Liz turned away, the raw emotion, the love she could see and feel burned inside her, fueling her own loneliness. Christ, she hated this. The lack of control, the horrible sense of unease at knowing how other people were feeling, and the jealousy Mick and Beth's feelings were creating in her.

“Yeah, that’s my fault too. I should be the one apologizing, not Mick. I sorta just showed up and…” Liz shrugged helplessly.

Beth took in Liz’s bare feet, her bags by the door, and the frayed, overtired appearance combined with her slightly tear stained face, and the need to nurture kicked in. “Are you all right…”She looked over at Mick. “Do you need help?”

“Liz is my…huh…” Mick looked at her helplessly for a moment.

“Mick is my version of a ‘fairy’ godfather.” Liz laughed and flinched as another voice joined hers. She hadn’t sensed anyone coming but with all the tension and emotions in the room she shouldn’t have been surprised.

“A Fairy Godfather?” Josef smirked. “Mick, is there something you forgot to tell us? And who is this delightful young lady?” He sauntered over to her, and around her. “If you tell me she is dessert all is forgiven.”  
“Josef!” Mick snarled, he could feel Beth flinch as he pulled away from her but Liz’s arm was already in Josef’s hands.

“Dessert?” Liz snatched her arm away. “How insulting, I am a seven course meal and you, Vampire, are on a liquid diet.” Liz watched him carefully, at first she felt nothing from him. but then a few seconds before he tossed his head back and laughed it swept through her…amusement and admiration.

“Spirit I like that.” Josef turned toward his friend, resisted the urge to demand more information about the enticing creature taunting him and instead taunted the man he considered his best friend. “Mick, where do you meet all these wonderful humans and do they _all_ know who you are?

“I knew Liz’s grandmother when we were children.” Mick smiled at the memory even though his eyes were still trained on his friend and Liz. The one curse and blessing about Vampirism is an enhanced sense of smell, and right now he was getting entirely too much information from Josef. Information that made him want to drag Liz upstairs, lock her in a room and beat Josef into submission. Liz was off limits while she was here…hell period.

“You knew her grandmother?” Beth’s curiosity always won out, the random thought in the back of her mind told her that was why she was always in danger. Beth watched all three sets of eyes turn toward her, and for some reason she felt as if she were the only human in the room.

“More than that, I think grandma had a crush on him.” Liz smiled mischievously; this was the much needed opportunity to diffuse the tension between the two vampires in the room.

Sound filled the room, from Mick’s sharp bark of disbelief to Josef’s full blown head thrown back laugh to Beth’s amused chuckle her mission was accomplished. It was exactly as she planned but it left her feeling dirty and as her mood swung darkly she could see the focus of the room shifting. Liz struggled for control and found it becoming evermore elusive.

She staggered back slightly and suddenly found two sets of hands supporting her. She could see and feel Mick and Josef’s concern heavily mixed with confusion as they moved her toward the couch.

“I think I need a nap.”  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max.

Beth hated how small she felt right now. Mick had lied to her, almost right from the start. That warm flutter his trust had created dredged up the memory of it’s birth as it died.

 _”Hey.”_  
“Mick. Do you wanna come in?”  
“No. I mean...you wanna know how I became a vampire?”  
“Yes.”  
“Okay. I told you I was married, right? “  
“Uh-huh.”  
“Well, she was a vampire. I didn't know. And on our wedding night, she turned me. I went to bed a happily married man and I woke up a monster.”  
“You're not a monster.”  
“Believe me, I was.”  
“You must find it hard to trust anyone now.”  
“You asked me if I trusted you. You're the first human that I've told any of this to, about who I am or what I am. So yeah, I trust you.”

It had been too easy. She knew she wasn’t an idiot, but right now, in this situation, she had never felt like more like one.

“You lied to me.” She instantly hated how her voice sounded: small, weak, unsteady.

Mick turned back toward her and shook his head in confusion.

“Huh?” In retrospect he would have liked to say he knew better then to do that but right now there was so much going on he honestly didn’t take the time to think.

“You lied to me.” Betrayal infused every word. “Claudia knew you secret, and she was defiantly human. The proof of that is upstairs sleeping in your room.” She slid her jacket on, grabbed her purse and started toward the door.

Mick was dumbfounded. Tonight and everything that had already been unexpected, but this was the last straw.

“Beth, I didn’t mean to keep this from you. It wasn’t something I would have gone into with you at that point in our relationship.” He winced at the pinched and pale expression on her face.

“I said I never told Claudia. She was a dear friend, a little sister to be exact and as I said she was clever enough to figure it out on her own.” Mick was frustrated and sick of having to defend his life to Beth every time she had an issue with his past.  
“Look, I don’t want to fight over this, but if it bothers you that much maybe we should take a break until you figure out if you can deal with my past.” He didn’t want to do this but she was leaving him with no choice, at least not any he could see.

Beth nodded grimly.

“You’re right. I’ll call you if I do.” With that she turned and walked out the door and Mick desperately hoped it wasn’t for the last time.

He stumbled back toward the couch, his heart, had it been beating would have burst from his chest. As it was, he was fighting every instinct that told him to chase after her and this whole incident. But he couldn’t, because as much as he loved her, he could live without the lack of trust and jealousy.

Especially since he wanted to look for Coraline; she saved him and he owed it to her.  
It was no where near daybreak but he was already exhausted. He still had Liz to worry about; her reasons for being here, and why she smelled ‘wrong’. She wasn’t a vamp that would have been obvious to both him and Josef, but she defiantly not entirely human. It was the only explanation and it made absolutely no sense.

Introspection and speculation only led to brooding and he didn’t want to end up like a television cliché. Besides he had a ‘granddaughter’- Mick instantly decided to never use that word again in reference to Liz to check on.

Mick grabbed some ice water so he could try to bring her fever down, if she still had it, and headed upstairs. He paused in the doorway as he saw her tossing and turning, her obvious distress had him rushing to her bedside.

Liz’s forehead was beaded with sweat, the linens twisted around her body, and she was whimpering softly. Leaning down he wiped her face off and he dried the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she as she whispered the name ‘Max’ several times. Not knowing what to do he tried to rouse her and make her drink the water, but in the end he ended up using it to wipe down her arms and neck.

He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat up with her as long as he could but eventually, he had to go rest. Thankfully her fever had disappeared, but he couldn’t help wishing he could stay awake longer.

Walking back downstairs he left a note on the refrigerator letting Liz know the numbers of several local restaurants that delivered should she wake up while he was asleep, and went to ‘bed’.

Liz sat up in bed, instantly awake. A moment of disorientation was quickly pushed away as she remembered where she was. She was safe here; Mick would hide her, at least temporarily after she told him the kind of trouble she was in... Until she figured out her next move.

Wincing at her sweat dampened clothes she was wearing; she immediately decided to take a shower. Liz slowly moved off the bed, her ‘episodes were always painful, but after being around so many people while traveling it was inevitable, especially when her powers were shifting and becoming stronger. It always left her weak plus it caused her to become susceptible to fevers, chills, nausea and vertigo.

A quick glance around the room had her finding her bag and moments later the bathroom.

She stopped in the doorway when she saw the shower.

“Nice”.

The size of the shower had her feeling decadent after spending so much time on the road with Max and the others. Camp grounds and cheap hotel shower weren’t exactly a way to relax.

Over an hour later Liz felt better then she had in months, except the gnawing sensation of her stomach greeting her spine. A quick mental calculation made her realize she hadn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday.

Downstairs she headed toward the kitchen then remembered Mick didn’t eat food and almost cried. Liz moved over to the fridge to do a desperate search in case he had something for Beth lurking in there when she saw a note with takeout numbers and money clipped there.

Warmth flooded through her. She hadn’t had someone take care of her, even in such a small way, since she left home. Coming to Mick was the right decision; he was the only family she could trust, not to mention how much she had missed him. Being with him; feeling the love and concern emanating from him, made her feel like she was home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max.
> 
> Dialogue from Roswell Episodes…1.00 - The Pilot, 1.03 - Leaving Normal, 3-12 - Ch-Ch-Changes and Moonlight Episodes…1.12 - The Mortal Cure and 1.13 - Fated to Pretend
> 
> Moonlight text is in italics, transcripts are located at [Moonlight Love](http://www.moonlight-love.com) and the Roswell transcripts are at [The Crashdown](http://crashdown.com)

Liz curled up on the couch; her carton of Kung Pao Chicken and Noodles was three-quarters of the way empty. She had already decimated her Hot and Sour Soup. Closing her eyes she rested a hand on her stomach and her head on the back of the couch.

Being here, the way she felt right now, was decadent. A quite, unhurried meal, a place where you felt completely safe, a long hot shower... to her those were luxuries. After almost three years on the run she had quickly learned that.

In the two weeks it had taken to arrive; two long, hard nervous weeks of making sure she wasn’t followed, she had a singular goal.

Mick.

Except now that she was here her focus was gone. She needed to know what her next move was; if she could stay here or if Mick could find a way to help her.

She was so tired. Liz fought to stay awake but it was all in vain. The harder she fought the faster she fell.

 

Mick quietly walked out to the kitchen. He could hear the steady rhythm of Liz’s heart as she slept peacefully on the couch. He wasn’t sure what to expect this morning so the mere fact that she was downstairs had him more then a little relieved.

He paused by the counter and looked at her for a moment. He’d been so stunned and in turn worried when she arrived yesterday, that he hadn’t noticed how pale she was or the purple/blue smudges under her eyes. Or how thin she was, he could see blue-green lines under her skin. Her dark hair was still long but pinned up, it only emphasized how young and fragile she looked.

She drew out his fiercest feelings; the need to protect being the most prevalent, much as it had been with Claudia.

Not wanting to wake her yet he walked quietly to the fridge, pulled out a pitcher of A-positive and drank his breakfast. The now-all-too frequent longing for orange juice hit him again, just as it had every morning since he’d had Josef re-turn him.

He _wanted_ to be a human again. With Beth or without; she’d never been the catalyst that caused his longing for humanity, he’d wanted that back the second it was stolen from him. However, she had given him hope for a ‘normal’ life once it happened, and for the all-to-brief period he was.

Mick smiled sadly, he _might_ have lost her but maybe this was good too. He could never turn her and if he couldn’t duplicate the compound that Coraline had used on him he would have had to watch her grow old and die. That thought brought a fresh wave of a grief he had though long gone. Since Liz had arrived he’d missed Claudia more and more.

Mick glanced at the time and washed out his glass. He hated to do it but he had to wake Liz and find out what was going on. If he didn’t Josef would soon be on his doorstep and he was not thrilled with the way his friend had looked at her last night.

Reluctant as he was to wake her it had to been done and somehow he knew that just as when he was turned, what ever Liz told him would once again change his life forever. That wasn’t something he was ready for either.

He walked toward the couch reached out to gently touched Liz’s shoulder and the second his skin came into contact with hers a sick green energy leapt off her, surrounded him and flung him against the wall.

 

Josef smiled wickedly as the petite red head waked toward him. She was new, and truthfully he preferred brunettes, but beautiful and so willing he could taste her surrender in the air as she moved closer. It was delicious how she was trying to be coy and demanding at the same time by stopping in the middle of the room as if he would demean himself by meeting her halfway.

Freshies always wanted this as much as he did, more so in some ways; because for him this was life, food, pleasure, and for them it was about being needed, feeling desired by a rich, powerful man. It was about letting themselves surrender to him.

She began moving toward him once she realized he wasn’t coming any closer; her gait slow and measured, head tilted slightly, lips parted just enough so he could see the tip of her tongue pressed against her lower lip. A pale arm reached out to him, her skin was so pale she could have passed for a vampire; he captured her wrist and brought it to his nose.

He could feel the steady, rhythmic beating of her heart, smell the heady scent of her B negative washed over him. He dragged his lips over the skin of her forearm, he felt her shiver. That was what he had been waiting for. Josef smiled before he bit her. Her soft gasp of shock turned into a low moan and he began to drink.

He loved being a Vampire.

 

Liz jolted awake the second Mick touched, but it had already been too late to try and reign in her ever fluctuating powers. Horror flowed through her as he flew across the room and she quickly scrambled after. His body hit the wall with a sick thud and she knew that if he been human he’d been on his way to the emergency room, or possibly the morgue.

“Mick!” Liz screamed futilely, and rushed to his side. Without thinking she grabbed his wrist and she had to remind herself Mick was a Vampire so therefore the lack of pulse wasn’t a bad thing.

She pulled him away from the wall, winced when she saw the blood smeared where his head had been, and fuck she didn’t know what to do. She hated feeling helpless.

Healing him was a possibility, her healing was weak at best and he was already dead, so it was a moot thought…Liz pulled his head onto her lap, frantically patted Mick’s cheek and repeated his name but still nothing happened.

Blood… maybe he needed blood, she gently started to shift his head when her world shifted…

_Hunger, Pain, Loneliness, Guilt…_

Liz was trapped, there wasn’t even a chance to resist, Mick’s memories over took her…

_Oh, my God, what happened to your face?_

_It's a long story that ended in a big fight. Coraline's gone._

_Oh._

_It's not meant to be. Never was._

_Yeah, I... I kinda know how that feels. Wait a second. Are you human?_

_For now, yeah._

_How does it feel?_

_The pain, the sun, the mortality. It feels amazing._

Beth, there was so much pain/love/hope/destruction attached to her and everything changed…

_You were right. I can’t save Beth as a human. But I can save her as a vampire. You have to turn me back._

_Woah, you hold on. This is not-_

_You have to turn me back. Right now._

_Mick, you’re human again. After all you went through to get the cure, you’re gonna give it up this easy?_

_You think this is easy for me? This is not easy, okay? I don’t have a choice._

_What you’re asking me to do-_

_Listen to me! Alright! He has Beth. He has my Beth. So, please. Please, brother._

_Mick… Forgive me._

Liz shuddered as she watched, and felt, Josef re-turn Mick. She could feel his body die, his hope, his desperation and need…all centered on Beth. There was also guilt, asking this of Josef the pain that he put on his best friend’s face and in his heart ate at him.

Mick couldn’t move…from the second he’d touched Liz his mind had been a riot of pain, emotions and images that weren’t his.

_Liz tumbling to the floor, bleeding, dying and a boy, Max, healing her._

He groaned as the images shifted again…Claudia…

_Well, not every relationship has to be the be-all and end-all._

_Right....it doesn't?_

_No...everybody wants to find her soul mate, but there's so much time for that. I think it's nice that you have somebody you can have fun with._

_What if there was something else?_

_Something else?_

_Someone else._

_Now, this is worth the price of the airfare._

_What if this someone else could potentially be...you know, what you said._

_Is there?_

_But what if were like complicated...like incredibly, incredibly complicated?_

_Well, one thing I can tell you....if it isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soul mate._

His brain was on fire…she was older now but still with the boy, Max, the one who healed her…

_You okay?_

_Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I, um, I just think this flu is hitting me. Um, I should go home and get into bed._

Mick sees Liz lean on one of her books and that immediately catches on fire.

_I didn't do that._

I did.

It's not possible.

Yes, it is. You healed me and now I'm different.

She was in so much pain…there were other images, her and a group of others in a van. Running, hiding, he could taste her fear.

Liz managed to drag herself away and the instant she stopped touching him everything… shifted…her mind was her own again but filled with so many new things, so much she didn’t want to know, and yet, she now had something to offer Mick. If he truly still wanted to be human she would help him.

Mick groaned and rolled until he was sitting. He knew where Liz had been, what she had been doing and why she was here, with him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max.

Liz scooted back against the wall as Mick watched her warily. She was still _his_ Liz, but now there was an unknown factor, an added danger that he needed to assess and factor into their relationship.

She smiled wanly, turned, slowly waving her hand over the wall and watched Mick’s blood disappear. She could feel his shock and the jumble of other semi-discernable emotions that were pushing against her weakened barriers.

“Well, that’s handy.” Mick tried for blasé but knew he fell short.

“Especially when I decide I don’t like the color of my nail polish.” Liz waved her hand over her toes and changed the copper polish to fire engine red.

Mick laughed and the tension in the room eased to a manageable level.

“So, Aliens are real?”

“So, Vampires are real?” Liz retorted quickly.

“Touché’.” Mick grinned. “But you’ve known that for years. This is new for me so being shocked and dismayed is on par for course.”

Liz smiled. “I reacted pretty much the same way when Max told me.”

“Max? The one that ‘healed’ you?” He couldn’t contain the disbelief in his voice. “Turned you into this?” Mick waved his hand toward her in a helpless gesture. “And what the _hell_ was up with me seeing all that?” He walked over and sat on the floor next to her.

“Well, when Max healed me it changed me, in fact it fundamentally altered my D.N.A., and even my blood looks different. It didn’t at first but over the last six months everything has changed.” Liz slid over and rested her head on Mick’s shoulder, sighing aloud when he put his arm around her to pull her closer.

“What’s changed?”

“Max and I stopped talking, he cheated on me with someone I worked with, Maria broke up with Michael then left, Isabel did too, and my powers started changing.” Liz was quite for a second before continuing.

“We were fighting constantly, and when I caught him with my co-worker I lost control, something that hadn’t happened in over a year. People saw and we had to run, but it was too late. The ‘Special Unit’ or what ever it is called now, was able to track us again. “

“The Special Unit?” Mick interrupted. He’d never heard of it before and honestly didn’t like the sound of it, despite the innocuous name.

“Yeah, they are ‘Alien hunters’. They captured and held Max for two days, tortured him, ran tests on him if they caught me it would be much worse.” Liz paled as she thought about it. “I used to be human.”

Mick briefly wondered what they would do if they learned about Vampires and decided not to think about it too hard at this exact moment. Definitely think on it later though, vampires used to be human, too.

“Two and a half weeks ago Kyle was picking me up from work because Max and I weren’t speaking when we almost walked into a trap. We had to run. I don’t know where the others are or even if they are alright and I lost Kyle too.” Liz’s eyes burned and her voice broke. “I lost Kyle in some shit ass town in Kentucky trying to get here.”

She started to sob loudly. “I lost him and I never told him about you, or where we were going. He trusted me, I told him I would get us somewhere safe, and I lost him.”

“Fuck!” Mick pulled Liz on to his lap, rubbed her back and petted her hair. “I’ll find him, Liz.” He wanted to find these men, the ones chasing ‘his’ girl, the ones who were breaking her and kill them. He also wanted to find Max and have a conversation about fidelity before breaking a few limbs. “I don’t care what it takes, or how long I’ll find him.”

“Mick, I don’t know where to go from here. What to do?” Liz sniffed, pulled away and stood up.

“What do you mean where to go?” Mick jumped to his feet and swore. “You’re not going anywhere. This is your home now.” He walked over and shoved a finger in her face. “No more running, no more hiding. This is your final stop.”

“Yes, Dad,” Liz monotones. Michael had schooled her well, and right now she wanted nothing more then to believe that she would never have to run again.

Mick shook his finger at her again. “That’s not funny.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max.

Josef watched them in amusement for a moment before giving them a much deserved ovation.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Isn’t this heart warming? Well, it would be if I had a heart.” Josef cocked his eyebrow and watched them closely, ; there was guilt, no jerking away just casual, relaxed contact.

He pointedly ignored Liz, and patted Mick on the shoulder as he walked past him. “I assume you have some answers by now.”

“You know ‘she’ has a name.” Liz walked over to Josef and poked him in the chest. “It is Elizabeth Parker-Evans…” Liz trailed off for a moment, and then looked up defiantly, “No, just Elizabeth Claudia Parker.”

“Ah, a woman newly scorned, that explains so much.” Josef nodded sagely. He didn’t see Mick snickering in the corner, or the way Liz’s eyes flashed green when he said it and blithely continued on. “That explains so much.” He turned and smiled at Liz, in what he hoped was a comforting manor manner, then froze when he saw her face.

Pale, stunningly pale, but that wasn’t what had actually driven a sliver of fear into his chest; it was the sick, flickering green lines that resemble electricity covering her, ghosting over her skin.

Every instinct he had was screaming, every fiber of his being burned. He felt himself change in spite of who Liz was. His rational mind knew that this would jeopardize his friendship with Mick, but his rational mind was already out the door. Liz was attacking him despite Mick’s presence, and he was flying across the room.

Josef managed to get his foot feet on the floor, his dress shoes slipped a bit, and he cursed them, before managing to turn mid-air. He twisted and leapt at Liz.

Mick scrambled, yelled Liz’s name, shoved her out of the way, and in a fluid movement caught Josef and pushed him into the wall.

“Josef! Enough!” He snarled at his best friend, his brother, who gnashed his teeth and snarled back, for. For a moment Mick thought he was going to have to fight, when a small sob broke through his haze of anger. He turned, saw Liz crumble to the floor and instantly rushed to her.

“Liz?” Mick pulled her into his arms, her body shaking as she sobbed. “It’s alright.”

His Josef’s anger instantly deflated, she’d lost control. He understood that, he wasn’t so far removed from those days that he’d forgotten what the aftermath looked like. He didn’t know what she was, and right now he didn’t care. Mick was his best friend, in truth, his only friend, and this girl wasn’t going to come between them.

Josef walked over, and crouched down next to them, rested his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, and did something he very rarely did.

“I’m sorry.” The words left his mouth so rarely they did seemed foreign, and he didn’t even want to think about the shit Mick was going to give him later.

Liz unburied her head from Mick’s shoulder, turned and looked at him with red eyes and a tear stained face. “It was my fault…” he pressed a finger to her lips.

“Be that as it may, I provoked you.” He could feel Mick watching him, waiting for him to mess this up. “Forgive me.” The fact that he meant it surprised him, but not as much as Liz sliding off of Mick’s lap to hug him. Her slim arms wound their way around his waist and neck, her face was damp against his shirt and her breath warm on his neck.

He met Mick’s eyes over her head, saw the approval he sought, and carefully hugged her back. Josef knew this girl meant more to Mick then he was letting on, there was attraction, affection, and acceptance. Something Mick needed. This young woman was special, aside from the obvious, and he would need to watch his step.

He wanted her.

He ruthlessly pushed his desire down; this girl wasn’t going to destroy his friendship with Mick.  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still being chased by the F.B.I Liz seeks refuge with a friend of her Grandmother’s after leaving Max.
> 
> _I know little to nothing about the Buddhist religion, so please forgive my ignorance. Mistakes are not meant to be slights and will willing be corrected. Also[Furnace Mountain Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furnace_Mountain) and [Furnace Mountain](http://www.furnacemountain.org/fm.html) the links to the site where Kyle will be at._

Liz kept glancing toward Josef as he and Mick quietly spoke. She’d removed herself from the conversation and room, needing breathing space. She could only assume they were speaking of her, their almost fight and her breakdown afterwards.

Mick’s memories were crowding her brain, and before she’d clamped it down there had been a flood of them from Josef too, yet, strangely, he hadn’t said a word about it. So either the connection was one sided or he was being his usual closed off self.

She’d learned that much about him from the images she’s received. That and he was much older then Mick, hundreds of years older, in fact. He also had a level of control she could only continue to strive toward. Of course being a Vampire and a changed human were to entirely different things, and she wasn’t even sure she could be classified as Human anymore.

She was turning into someone she didn’t know, something she couldn’t trust. There was so much inside her that ached in a way that she could barely describe. There were moments; the ones where she was losing herself, that her skin was to tight, it crawled, burned and itched. She wanted to score it with her nails, peel it off and set what ever was living in her, free. She wanted to run away, she also wanted to find Max and curse him for doing this to her.

For the first time Liz was afraid of herself; everything she was, what she was becoming…the mere thought of voicing her fears terrified her and how could she explain that to anyone?

She loathed that fear, it was a prison and one of her own creation, but that didn’t make it any less confining. Or easy to escape.

Kyle had understood to a point. His powers were negligible and honestly, she knew her situation terrified him. He didn’t want to be in her situation, and she didn’t blame him one bit.

Mick and Josef were completely different, from her and one another. Where one had embraced his nature, the other denied it. Yet, there was a deep affection between the two of them, and between their vast experiences there was something akin to hope creeping into her. They had changed violently too and still managed to hold on to themselves. If they could, so could she.

Maybe through them she could escape, learn to survive…better yet control this thing inside her and live her life again. Through them she could learn to live without fear. Liz shuddered, and an unbidden image of herself wrapped around the two of them in a way so sensual she would never had though it possible for her to imagine raced across her mind.

Her body wilted from the heat in what she saw; the need, the desire and she wondered if it was real or just product of whatever was going on with her body. Whatever it was, she longed for it to be a vision in the sickest most base way, because until that moment she’d never thought of Mick in a sexual way, and certainly not Josef either…Liz mentally called herself a liar the second she finished those thoughts.

Mick was a perfect specimen of manhood, and for that matter so was Josef. She was a healthy woman; she thought about them naked for at least six point five seconds, every few hours. To be even more honest, Mick, not Max was her first true crush even after she’d know he was a vampire. Hell, maybe even because, but she’d been fourteen at the time and him biting her had been a frequent fantasy.

Liz shook off those thoughts; the barrage of emotions was dangerous and could force her powers out of whack, as it was the counter under her hands was discolored.

She wanted them both.

She could deal with that.

She could.

She was fucked, and not in the way she apparently wanted either.

 

 

Kyle shivered, the only warmth he could feel was centered in the coffee cup in his hands, and that didn’t permeate very far. He was lost, broke; he had no way of making money, or more importantly contacting Liz.

The bright side, he wasn’t being chased by the Feds anymore. Kyle slurped the dark, hot and sugar laden coffee and wrecked his mind for a plan. He could hitch, but he didn’t know where to, and wandering aimlessly wouldn’t help him reconnect with Liz.

“Buddha, guide me.” He muttered allowed well scanning a map tacked to the wall.

“Brother, if you are weary, Buddha always provides.” Kyle turned to look toward the stranger speaking to him and had never been so relieved in his life.

“Brothers,” Kyle bowed his head in respect. The two monks looked at him curiously, but smiled widely and returned the bow. “I am indeed weary, and believe Buddha provides. He has, after all provided you in my time of need.”

The monks nodded in unison, “Come then, we will take you to a place of rest and you may restore your body and spirit. You will be able to sit at the feet of our master and he will grant you succor.”

Kyle grabbed his bag, and felt completely at ease, faith was always the way.

Josef turned so he could watch Liz from the corner of his eye. The play of emotions running over her face was astonishing, almost as astonishing as Mick’s counter blackening under her tiny hands.

“Mick, if you don’t want to remodel your kitchen, you might want to go see what Liz is thinking about now.” His voice was dry and he felt he was exhibiting an amount of patience completely unseen before.

Mick looked over toward Liz and rushed to her side. His hand hovered at her shoulder for a moment before caressing her back. Josef watched his friend and knew that Mick was on love with her. Of course he would deny it. Mick was good at that, but his every action bespoke love, not just friendly concern. Jealousy surged through him. It was unfamiliar and ugly.

He hadn’t had cause to feel such a petty emotion in hundreds of years, and he didn’t like it one bit. It was also obvious he wasn’t getting Liz’s story out of them now, not with all the cooing and sighing going on.

With a disgusted sigh, Josef turned toward the door and quietly left. He was hungry and lonely. He didn’t want to admit it but he was, and watching Mick and Liz had made him see it. Right now he hated them for that.

 

Mick heard the door close and barely spared Josef a glance. There was too much going on; Liz’s memories, Josef’s odd behavior, plus he was generally confused by the way he felt about Liz.

“Liz?” He brushed her hair off her face with one hand and used the other to pry her hands from the counter.

She yanked her hands from his grasp, her eyes consumed with panic. “Don’t, I…I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Liz,” Mick stepped closer to her and took her hands back, and held them tightly, “you won’t.” He was desperate; he was driven by something he couldn’t understand. This slight, pale and entirely too young girl in front of him was invading his every thought. Her scent flooded his senses, overwhelming him.

“No, Mick…” Liz took a step back, she could feel her pulse flutter, her heart pounding so harshly she thought it would burst from her chest. She knew what he was going to do. Her body ached with need; she wanted him to kiss her but her mind knew she wasn’t ready for this. Not yet.

Mick put his hand on her waist, and slid his other up her arm, pulling her closer as he did. He could smell her blood, hear her heart, he wanted to taste her… every inch of her.

He reached up and cupped her cheek, leaned down and kissed her. He could feel her lips part under his, her breath against his lips as she made a tiny helpless sound and suddenly his mouth was on fire.

Liz jerked away, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh…no…” She had burned Mick, as she watched his lips blister and peel. Appalled, she turned, her hair billowing out behind her like a whip as she ran from the room and out of the apartment. Leaving Mick stunned in her wake.

 

 

 

The office was loud, people on the phone yelling, computers turned to Buzznet, others wandering around chatting about the story of the moment and for the first time Beth felt disconnected from it all.

She’s had a lovely dinner with Ben, they’d laughed, joked, talked politics and there was an overwhelming sense of normalcy that she had enjoyed. She hadn’t thought of Mick once, but she had thought of Josh.

Ben was solid, warm and there were moments when he confused her because he seemed so like Josh, but at the same time he wasn’t him at all. And he was definitely nothing like Mick, yes there was that need to fix things and save people, but with Ben it wasn’t about atonement. It was just who he was.

Beth wondered, and not for the first time, if her attraction to Mick had been an aberration. The lure of the bad boy, so to speak.

She sat at her desk, turned her computer on and opened her mail. Junk leads, spam, and more dead ends. Beth clicked out the window and typed Elizabeth Parker into her search engine. Link after link appeared, and Beth religiously read everyone. It seemed Liz might be her latest story.  



End file.
